1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to index filing and retrieval of documents, and more particularly to numerical color coding of documents by means of two 10-position digital bars spaced from each other longitudinally on the documents and not more than three single digit tabs selected from ten sets of color coded tabs, each set having a different color and displaying one of the numerals 0-9 and a transparent portion adjacent to and aligned with each numeral, to provide proper identification of the number of any document with no two alike in 99,999, the proper filing of documents so identified establishing a color coded set position pattern for any desired filing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the known systems using color coding requires a differently colored folder or document for each of the 10 digits, with the proper color for any document number being determined by the first number of the secondary digits thereof. Each document has two longitudinally spaced 10-position digital bars with the numbers 0-9 printed successively along an edge, and the operator or file clerk blocks out or fills in with a black marking pen the space on the bottom bar having the digit thereon corresponding to the last digit of the document number and the space on the top bar corresponding to the next to the last digit in that number. All documents having numbers with the same two primary or terminal digits are placed in the same section of the files as determined by the first numeral of the secondary digits of the document number. Thus, each section contains only folders or documents of the same color, i.e., those having the same thousands digit in their numbers. The approximate position of a document within its section is determined by the hundreds digit in its number, it being placed in the appropriate one-tenth of that section. This makes for chance filing by document color only and the system cannot be changed for large or small files between active (usually terminal digits), semi-active (usually hundreds) or straight numeric. The colored folders or documents are more costly than plain manila folders, are bulky to stock and greatly increase the problems of maintaining satisfactory inventories. In automated files that hold 10,000 folders per section, the danger exists that a document will be put in the wrong 10,000 section. Misfiles have proved to be common, and if it were attempted to use color tabs in some way, they would blend into the colors of the folders. Further, that system requires the use of additional file guides.
That system has been varied to enable the use of plain manila folders by applying to an edge thereof two ink bars or blocks, usually 1 to 2 inches in length, in the proper one of 10 different colors for the digits 0-9, respectively, with the top bar representing the first numeral and the bottom bar representing the second or units numeral of the primary or terminal digits of the document number. However, that forms in the file only a straight alternating pattern of color blocks which is the same throughout the whole file and presents a mass of colors which makes it harder to spot or retrieve if there is a misfile. Blocks are sometimes added for each digit making five needed tabs to reach 99,999 with the mass of colors forming a straight blocked color pattern.